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The year (2012) in review

This has been a busy year. So busy, in fact, that I haven’t written our yearly update letter or sent out holiday cards.

On Christmas Day we said “Happy 2nd Birthday” to our beautiful but goofy little Chloe. We spent Christmas day with my “step-family” and then at by little brothers house with my sister, their kids, and some of my brothers wife’s family…that sounds complicated. It’s not. Lots of food, lots of people. Country Yumming

Our Thanksgiving holiday weekend was spent with our military family and both sides of my husband’s family.

In October my Husband returned home from his first deployment. Thankfully it was only 7 months… maybe a little longer. He wasn’t thankful it was a ship but because it was a ship he did visit Greece, Dubai, and Bahrain with the most brief “layovers” in Italy and Ireland.

While my husband was working hard and sweating in harder, the kids and I made way to a few less exotic places. We saw our family in Virginia, Alabama, and went to be with the grandparents in California. While our destinations were much less exotic they were no less cultured. The kids summer was filled with many museums, aquariums, fun educational experiences as well as culinary trials on their part.

Eli, our 5-year-old, went from Pre-K to K and while we were sure that his new grade would be more challenging in a stimulating way, he continued to get in trouble almost every day. He is so underestimated or challenged that he has had a behavior chart developed for the class and he and another student have private “offices” because they can only work with others for so long. I say to this that I don’t want my child to be treated differently and that over time he may learn the social norm. He has started seeing a therapist every week and I’m not sure what they do in the sessions but he is drastically more caring, understanding, patient and over all less sad and angry.

Chloe she has turned two… and I’m not sure that if it is her age or her slight cold from time to time but she is cranky. Cranky and dramatic. Her favorite terms are “HEEEEEEEYYYYY!” or “no”, if she doesn’t get her way she falls to the floor, face embedded, and lets out tearful cries. No doubt while her attitude is not the best at times, she is still clingy and shy, easily consoled by hugs and loves kisses. She still has a sweet nature to take care of things and console her sad friends and family.

DH didn’t change at all on deployment, which was my biggest fear since I had changed so much. He isn’t sure about the direction of the future with his job and it tends to make him nervous. At certain times we miss California. But we have been here now for exactly a year.

Now to be tacky and boastful.

I am not sure if it’s boastful or celebrating my successes and good fortune with my friends and supporters.

Finally, in October I got certified to teach hoopdance to Level 2 through Hoopnotica. Early in the year, pre-deployment, we were approved for a free photo session through an organization called Hearts Apart. I was fortunate to fall back into my modeling career after wanting to call it quits. I worked on three independent projects with some fantastic artists and creatives for three independent publications. First for Essere with the work of an amazing photographer and person Jyoti Sackett, she has quiet an impressive Photo Vogue portfolio. I worked with local photographer Michael Mulligan on our Victor/ Victoria priject with other local models, make-up artists, and stylists, from this I’ve made some great friends and an issue of Vigore. Finally the work I’m proudest of is the article that I wrote edited by my friend Emily, with accompaying photos I self shot over the course of a few days, styled myself and composed myself with some camera help from my husband in the watery parts, all in the January issue of Essere.

With all the bad and good that comes over a single year, we have to be really greatful for all our freinds, family, support systems, and most importantly, God. Without everyone and everything we would have nothing.